Extra funding for coronavirus enforcement

8 October 2020

Details of a total of £60 million in surge funding were announced yesterday. It will be split equally between local councils and police forces.

West Midlands Police’s share is £1,831,635.

“This funding is, of course, welcome,” says Jon Nott, chair of West Midlands Police Federation, “My only concern is that even with extra funding we can’t just magic extra police officers or police staff out of thin air.

“We are already stretched and the demands of enforcing coronavirus restrictions can lead to us taking officers away from other duties. We are in the midst of a recruitment drive but it will be some time before we see the benefits of having those extra officers and we must still bear in mind that, even when we have completed the three-year recruitment drive, we will only see our numbers back to the levels we had in 2010.

“My concern is that the extra money is likely to be spent on paying for over-time leading to officers working longer shifts or giving up rest days to provide more visible patrols. Policing is a demanding role, working over-time and forsaking rest days could lead to officers suffering burn-out.

“Police officers will do their very best to enforce the Government’s restrictions during the ongoing pandemic but ultimately we need the public to play their part too. The restrictions are being put in place to try to protect us all.”

John Apter, national chair of the Police Federation of England and Wales, has also welcomed the extra funding saying any genuine new money which helps ease the current pressure on policing can only be a positive thing.

But he also sounded a note of caution, saying: “My question is, what is expected in return? Policing is over-stretched, and colleagues are already doing all they can during this pandemic. Any suggestion that this extra money would take away the discretion which permits police officers to do their jobs to the best of their ability would be counterproductive and damaging. Alongside this announcement must be an effective public information campaign. This must make it crystal clear what is expected of the public.

“Police officers are already targeting those who wilfully breach Covid-19 regulations and this will continue. The new money will assist policing, but what we really need are more officers and a better communication strategy from the Government.”

The Government announcement said the aim was for police to be more visible to ensure members of the public comply with the restrictions in place to try to halt the spread of coronavirus while councils would get funding and guidance to support compliance and enforcement.

It would, ministers explained, enable police to increase patrols in town centres and ensure that people are complying with the new restrictions, particularly in high-risk areas. The police would also, they said, provide more support to local authorities and NHS Test and Trace to enforce self-isolation requirements.

Home Secretary Priti Patel said: “The vast majority of the British public has come together, followed the law and helped prevent the spread of this virus.

“But we’ve been clear that, with infections rising, we will not allow a small minority of people to reverse our hard-won progress.

“This extra funding will strengthen the police’s role in enforcing the law and make sure that those who jeopardise public health face the consequences.”

Forces will be required to provide the Home Office with enforcement plans to demonstrate how the money is being used to tackle non-compliance with public health rules.